Thursday Thirteen #17: Podcasts

Thirteen Podcasts that I love
I'm a huge fan of the free podcasts that iTunes offers, so here's a few I'd recommend

1. Jimmy Pardo's Never Not Funny
Comedian Jimmy Pardo hosts a "party conversation" with fellow comedian Mike Schmidt and Matt Belknap in his dining room each week. I'm completely addicted to this podcast, and all 3 of the guys crack me up. Each episode brings new topics to rant/discuss/make fun of, and every 4 episodes a guest (usually another comedian) comes to add their two cents. You won't be dissapointed with this one.

2. Discovery Channel Features
I love 90% of the programming on the Discovery Channel. Discovery Channel Features allows you to download audio versions of shows like Dirty Jobs, Cash Cab!, and Mythbusters. It's Discovery-On-The-Go!


3. San Francisco Chronicle's Correct Me If I'm Wrong
The SF Chronicle has a hotline that readers can call into and vent their anger about the newspaper, and get their voice heard, great idea, right? Well, the chronicle took it a step further and decided to start podcasting the funny/outrageous voicemails that they have received. Hearing a man rant about the headline reading "Pilotless Drone" for 2 minutes is one of the funniest things I've heard in a long time. Most episodes are under 3 minutes, and just enough to make you smile.

4. LifeTeen.com's SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY Podcast
Mark Hart, aka "The Bible Geek" podcasts each week about the Sunday Mass readings. He doesn't just read them, but he breaks them down, and explains them in a way Teens and adults can both understand. From pop-culture refrences to historical refrences, Mark Hart brings the mass readings to the Catholic-Everyman(/woman) and makes mass a lot clearer. I listen to the podcast before mass, and sometimes again after mass if I didn't understand it the second time.

5. NPR: Pop Culture
A 30 min compilation of the week's pop-culture segments collected from shows like "Fresh Air" and "All Things Considered". It's essentially a cliffnotes version of that week's NPR coverage.

6. The Paul Goebel Show
Comedian and King of TV Paul Goebel 'casts once a week about the TV shows he's loved or hated that week. Paul brings on a guest for the shows to discuss their favorite shows too. Each week there is a trivia contest for listenters to win cool prizes, a round of 6-Degrees-of-Henry-Winkler, and a "Mash Up" of TV characters/stars.

7. NPR: Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
The NPR Pop-Culture Quiz Show re-broadcasts this weeks episode as a podcast!

8. The Sound of Young America
America's Radio Sweetheart podcasts on things from Comedy to Books to NPR. All segments are well produced, and interesting. The comedy segments are awesome!

9. NPR: This American Life
NPR's This American Life re-broadcasts each week's episode as a free podcast!

10. Fair Game with Faith Salie
Fair Game is a Daily Show-esque radio show using political commentators and comedians to present the week's news and notables. Salie is a charismatic host and brings her own sense of humor to each story.

11. The RELEVANT Podcast
The alternative-christian-lifestyle magazine RELEVANT brings together it's editorial staff to present each week's new music and movie releases, and news stories, while providing christian values to situations. The staff is very funny and uses unique games and contests to encourage audience participation.

12. The Tartan Podcast
Ever wonder what kind of music the scottish indie rock scene is producing? Well, the Tartan Podcast brings 3-5 songs from 3-5 bands right out of the scottish underground each week.

13. The Spring Awakening Podcast
News, interviews, and videos about today's broadway hit: Spring Awakening!


All of these podcasts can be found through iTunes, and are completely free!

Happy Valentines Day

Can we discuss that I forgot it was Valentine's Day today? I saw a sign for a rose sale in the North Campus Union, and I thought it was odd...until I realized it was Valentine's Day. Without a significant other, I tend to be completely oblivious to these events. Oh, well!

I'm not one to mope on V-Day, so I'm not one of the many people who cry about "SINGLES AWARENESS DAY", and I'm not super smushy, so I don't celebrate outlandishly. Apathy. That's what it is. I'm 20 years old, my day will come. I do miss the annual handing-out of cheap character valentines every year though. Who doesn't love that?

Anyway, what did I get for Valentine's Day? I found the entire leaked album of Ted Leo's Living with the Living, and that's quite wonderful. Actually, it's amazing. I'm in love with this album. Buy it when it comes out in March!! Definitely early-Elvis Costello influenced, which is what I love most.

I will say that the one thing I will miss after V-Day is Esspresso Royale's Sweetheart Latte. Carmel and Cinnamon, who would have thought?

So, what I'm trying to say with this long, rambling, pointless post is... Happy Valentine's Day to everyone!

Thursday Thirteen #16: Photos

13 of my Favorite Photos from my iPhoto account!

1. Roses in Paris
My dad took this while we were in a wonderful little area of Paris in 2004


2. KEY PLAY @ ACTF
Two of my friends participated in the Tech Olympics at ACTF, and the rest of us cheered them on Umich way!! Key Play!


3. Cannibal Pumpkin
My cannibal pumpkin from Halloween 2006


4. Too Many Stage Managers!
UM Stage Managers Winter 2006


5. Dance Party!
A pic I took from the dance party before Mock Rock this fall


6. Flyering at the Media Union
I took this at the media union this fall while my room mate was flyering. Pretty cool!


7. Halloween costume 2005!


8. Tally Hall @ the Blind Pig
I don't know who took this, but they caught the awesome christmas-light-suits perfectly


9. Packing Peanuts!
The boys that I live with, having fun with packing peanuts!


10. Bonfire Summer 2006
This is one of the collest pictures I've ever taken. It wasn't as dangerous as it looks...


11. Revenge
This is a picture of the most rediculous display at ACTF, and when it didn't make it to round two we got a little cheeky...


12. Junkyard Bike
A bike at the Junkyard...


13. Songs from a New World: Mock Rock '06
A great action shot from Mock Rock. yes, he just got a bucket of water dumped on him...

GROUNDHOG DAY!

America has some pretty rediculous holidays, and last year I decided that Groundhog Day is by far, the greatest pointless american holiday.

I mean, it's a holiday about a rodent crawling out, and humans deciding whether it saw it's shadow or not!

So, I started the tradition that every Groundhog Day I would gather together my closest friends, order in some Cheeeeesy breads, and watch the Magnum Opus of this fair holiday, the aptly titled: Groundhog Day starring Bill Murray. Last year I also made a wonderful Groundhog Day T-Shirt, which I wear 2 days in a row to be witty. This year the celebration is going to be even bigger than last year's.

So, join with me on this joyous day, and pray for an early spring!

Thursday Thirteen #15: Recently Played

Thirteen songs that have been recently Played in my itunes...that I would reccomend to you

1. Handle With Care-Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins
Been beat up and battered 'round/Been sent up, and I've been shot down/You're the best thing that I've ever found/Handle me with care

2. Short Notice-The Living End
I said I wanna see you/I really meant I wanna leave you/I said I wanna touch you/I really meant I wanna punch you/I said I wanna kiss you/I'm never gonna miss you
If you had a clue you would never stay/If I told the truth I would have to say/We're going round, round, round
Short notice - and now it's time to go/Misguided - shot down when you didn't know/Short notice - and now it's time to go

3. The Bitch of Living-The Original Cast of Spring Awakening
It's the bitch of living/with nothing but your hand/just the bitch of living/as someone you can't stand....
See previous post to stream the song/music video

4. Let My Love Open the Door-Pete Townshend
When people keep repeating/That you'll never fall in love/When everybody keeps retreating/But you can't seem to get enough/Let my love open the door/To your heart

5. Everybody's Up to Something-Brian Setzer
I saw a man on a TV show, Said "Don't drink alcohol/please don't smoke no cigarettes/don't drink no coffee at all"/Later on, I'm watchin' the news as the man from the TV show/get's stopped by the cops and in his trunk/was a suitcase of...well, you know

6. I Walk the Line-Johnny Cash & The Tennessee Two
I keep a close watch on this heart of mine/I keep my eyes wide open all the time/I keep my ends out for the ties that bind/Because you're mine/I walk the line

7. The Sweetest Thing-U2
My love she throws me like a rubber ball/(Oh oh oh, the sweetest thing)/She won't catch me or break my fall/(Oh oh oh, the sweetest thing)/Baby’s got blue skies up ahead/But in this I'm a rain cloud/You know she wants a dry kind of love/(Oh oh oh, the sweetest thing)

8. Everybody Wants to Rule the World-Tears for Fears
Welcome to your life/Theres no turning back/Even while we sleep/We will find you/Acting on your best behaviour/Turn your back on mother nature/Everybody wants to rule the world

9. London Calling (Live @ the Grammys)-(Tribute to Joe Strummer)Bruce Springsteen, Little Steven, Elvis Costello, Dave Grohl, etc.
The ice age is coming, the sun's zooming in/Engines stop running, the wheat is growing thin/A nuclear era, but I have no fear/Cause London is drowning and I, I live by the river

10. Baba O'Riley-The Who
Don't Cry/Don't Raise Your Eye/It's Only Teenage Wasteland

11. Mixed Tape-Jack's Mannequin
And this is my mixed tape for her/It's like I wrote every note/With my own fingers

12. Save Ginny Weasley-Harry and the Potters
We've got to save Ginny Weasley from the basilisk/We've got to save the school from that unseen horror/We've got to save Ginny Weasley from the basilisk/We've got to save the school again

13. Hey Jane-The Pink Spiders
Hey Jane I know your hungry honey/But I promise you that things will change/Just don't let your life's income determine your life's outcome